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Saturday, November 26, 2016

A Guide to Good Personal Hygiene

Proper grooming and healthy personal habits can help you ward off
illnesses and feel good about yourself. Find out which personal hygiene
habits should be part of your regular routine.

Mom was right: Good personal hygiene is essential to promoting good health.Personal hygiene habits such as washing your hands and brushing and
flossing your teeth will help keep bacteria, viruses, and illnesses at
bay. And there are mental as well as physical benefits. “Practicing good
body hygiene helps you feel good about yourself, which is important for
your mental health,” notes Donald Novey, MD, an integrative medicine
physician with the Advocate Medical Group in Park Ridge, Ill. People who
have poor hygiene — disheveled hair and clothes, body odor, bad breath,
missing teeth, and the like — often are seen as unhealthy and may face
discrimination.

Personal Hygiene: Healthy Habits Include Good Grooming
If you want to minimize your risk of infection and also enhance your overall health, follow these basic personal hygiene habits:

Bathe regularly. Wash your body and your hair
often. “I’m not saying that you need to shower or bathe every day,”
remarks Dr. Novey. “But you should clean your body and shampoo your hair
at regular intervals that work for you.” Your body is constantly
shedding skin. Novey explains, “That skin needs to come off. Otherwise,
it will cake up and can cause illnesses.”

Trim your nails. Keeping your finger and toenails
trimmed and in good shape will prevent problems such as hang nails and
infected nail beds. Feet that are clean and dry are less likely to
contract athlete’s foot, Novey says.

Brush and floss. Ideally, you should brush your
teeth after every meal. At the very least, brush your teeth twice a day
and floss daily. Brushing minimizes the accumulation of bacteria in your
mouth, which can cause tooth decay and gum disease, Novey says.
Flossing, too, helps maintain strong, healthy gums. “The bacteria that
builds up and causes gum disease
can go straight to the heart and cause very serious valve problems,”
Novey explains. Unhealthy gums also can cause your teeth to loosen,
which makes it difficult to chew and to eat properly, he adds. To
maintain a healthy smile, visit the dentist at six-month intervals for
checkups and cleanings.

Wash your hands. Washing your hands before
preparing or eating food, after going to the bathroom, after coughing or
sneezing, and after handling garbage, goes a long way toward preventing
the spread of bacteria and viruses. Keep a hygiene product, like an
alcohol-based sanitizing gel, handy for when soap and water isn’t
available.

Sleep tight. Get plenty of rest — 8 to 10 hours a night — so that you are refreshed and are ready to take on the day every morning. Lack of sleep can leave you feeling run down and can compromise your body's natural defenses, your immune system, Novey says.

Personal Hygiene: Poor Hygiene Hints at Other Issues
If someone you know hasn’t bathed or appears unkempt, it could be a sign that he or she is depressed.
“When people are sad or depressed, they neglect themselves,” Novey
says. Talking about the importance of proper personal hygiene for
preventing illnesses and providing personal hygiene items may help some
people. Be candid but sensitive and understanding in your discussions,
Novey says. Despite your best efforts, your friend or loved one may need
professional help. You should encourage them to see a counselor or
doctor if their personal hygiene doesn’t improve.Personal Hygiene: Good Habits Help Keep You Healthy
For most people, good hygiene is so much a part of their daily routines
that they think little about it. They bathe, they brush their teeth,
visit the dentist and doctor for regular checkups, and wash their hands
when preparing or eating food and handling unsanitary items. To keep
those you care about healthy and safe, help them learn, and be sure that
they are practicing, good personal hygiene.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

New York City is particularly dirty and some of the most shared surfaces of this big city are automated teller machines. Scientists at New York University tested these for microbes as research for a study. The study, published in the journal mSphere and conducted between June and July 2014, took swabs of keypads from 66 ATM machines from Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, ranging from midtown to Flushing to Inwood to Ozone Park in the US.

Specifically, the most common identified sources of microbes on the keypads were from household surfaces such as televisions, restrooms, kitchens and pillows, as well as from bony fish, mollusks and chicken.

"ATM surfaces, potentially retaining microbial signatures of human inhabitants ... are interesting from both a biodiversity perspective and a public health perspective," lead author NYU project scientist Holly M. Bik and her colleagues wrote. They focused on neighborhoods with distinct population demographics, swabbing around for patterns. The goal was to add to the body of work on the "urban microbiome."
It's a big project in New York, given that, as the authors report, the urban surfaces of Manhattan have a greater surface area than the geographic breadth of the island itself.

On one ATM near Brighton Beach, they detected Toxoplasma, the culprit in the infectious disease Toxoplasmosis, that doesn't usually show symptoms but feels like a flu if you have a weakened immune system or are a baby. But, as John Metcalfe reports at CityLab, other findings were even less savory, like protists associated with your intestinal tract, a bug related to the sexually transmitted infection trichomoniasis, "Don't panic just yet," Metcalfe cautions. "The research didn't determine how many of these microbes were still active when collected, and it's possible that many were in such small amounts that they wouldn't be harmful," he says.
Are you someone who washes his hands often and is tagged a psycho by friends? Well, pay no heed to that because you are doing the right thing! This new study gives you enough to refute claims that you're a crazy person.

However, no significant difference was found in the keypads from ATMs located outdoors versus indoors, the researchers noted. Well, till the time researchers are doing their work and digging out more reasons to stay from these bacteria, you might like to keep some hand sanitizer handy.

Friday, November 18, 2016

Are you weak and pale? Do you often feel tired or agitated? Chances are it all stemmed from stress or anxiety. Perhaps a long day at work or due to an irregular sleeping pattern. Yet all of this could be sourced back to a Vitamin B12 deficiency. It is a condition characterized by deficiency of this
Vitamin, which helps carry oxygen throughout your body. Insufficient Vitamin B12 can make you anaemic, rendering you weak and tired almost often.

Whatever you eat, either keeps you or kills you. Your diet or as such, your dietary habits are the primary sources of intake of all the essential nutrients and minerals in the body. And moreover as our bodies do not make vitamin B12, we intake it from the foods and supplements which we regularly consume. Animal-based foods such as meat, milk and eggs are excellent sources of vitamin B12. Although, precisely how much you need and from what you should get it depends on factors such as age, sex and metabolism.

Causes of Vitamin B12 deficiency

There can be other causes of such deficiency, besides a diet. It can also happen if you have certain conditions.

Categorically put, the causes of the deficiency can be divided into 3 parts. Namely:

Inadequate intake:

Heavy drinking is attributed to low vitamin B12 levels.A strict vegetarian diet over a prolonged period of time can also cause this deficiency.
Mal-absorption:

A condition that causes thinning of the stomach lining, known as Atrophic gastritis, is known to cause B12 deficiency.Pernicious anaemia, a condition marked by lack of vitamin
B12, leads to lowered productions of red blood cellsPost gastrectomy (a procedure which requires the removal of the stomach, either partially or as a whole)Certain immune and neurodegenerative disorders such as Grave’s disease (an auto-immune disease of the thyroid gland) or lupus (a group of diseases characterized by an inflammation of one’s skin) can also lead to vitamin B12 deficiency.Certain medications contain acid reducing compounds which can also cause such deficiencyIntestinal diseases such as celiac disease (a condition in which digesting food becomes troublesome because of the small intestine’s sensitivity to gluten) or Crohn’s disease (marked by inflammation of the intestines) can be responsible as well.

Defective Transport:

A genetic disorder known as Transcobalamin deficiency can also lead to this deficiency. This disorder damages the circulation of ‘Cobalamin’ or Vitamin B12 throughout the body.

Symptoms of this deficiency are quite apparent. Signs of this condition resemble anaemic symptoms as a lack of vitamin B12 directly leads to anaemia.The following are some of the typical signs of this condition:

Weakness and fatigueFrequent palpitations and difficulty in breathingDry and pale skinA smooth, slippery tongueNumb and tingling nerves and bouts of light-headednessLoss of appetiteGas, diarrhoea or constipationFrequent mood swings, memory loss and behavioural problemsGreying of hair, though a rare condition, can happen in the event of a vitamin B12 deficiency

In severe cases, you may experience difficulty while walking. Infants born to vegan mothers, who are entirely breastfed, can be at a risk of anaemia, weakness and associated physical developmental delays.

The condition is easily diagnosable through a blood test. It has been also observed that the risk of vitamin B deficiency increases with the age of an individual.

Preventing Vitamin B12 deficiency

You may avoid this deficiency by including the right ingredients in your diet. Having a healthy combination of leafy vegetables and animal based foods such as eggs, meat and fish can help balance the vitamin B12 levels in the body. Because B12 is an essential nutrient for improved red blood cell production and nerve function, foods rich in the vitamins are also known as brain foods.Some commonly available foods that you should eat your way to a smarter living include:

Animal based meats such as beef and lean chicken are an excellent source of vitamin B12.Sea foods such as fishes and clams provide vitamin and essential nutrients.Eggs, which can be used with a variety of salads and soups, are also rich in B12. Other dairy based foods such as cheese and milk also help.Other kinds of generic foods such as whey powder, low-fat buttermilk, rice milk, liver sausagesand even veggie burgers are also replete with this Vitamin.

Consuming the above mentioned multi-vitamin foods does help the body absorb essential nutrients. Yet, having the right combination of foods is necessary for enjoying all the benefits. Moreover, there are several subcategories for each of these vitamins such as B1, B2, B7, B12 etc.The top 20 foods that help you avoid Vitamin B12 deficiency have been enumerated below. For the sake of convenience, they are categorised according to their types.

They include:

Animal based foods
Liver

Not only is the mammal liver loaded with nutritional ingredients, it is also a storehouse of vitamin B12. Packed with minerals and energy, it helps increase muscle strength, libido and brain functions.

Eggs

As previously cited, eggs are easily available and are very good sources of vitamin B12. A yolk of a single egg contains about 300 grams of vitamin B complex. Moreover, it contains 6 grams of protein and 9 essential amino acids which help the body in various ways, the most significant of those being keeping heart diseases at bay and strengthening the immune system.

Pork

Pork, when consumed in moderate amounts, can be a very good energizer, besides being a good source of vitamin B12.

Turkey

Not only is Turkey meat low in fat, but is also rich in nutrients that are required to control the levels of cholesterol. It helps reduce chances of cancer and cardiac ailments.

Lean chicken and beef

Chicken, lamb and mutton are good sources of vitamin B12. Beef or in general red meat, in controlled quantities,suppliesyour body with around 6 micrograms of vitamin B12 which is more than adequate for your daily requirements.

Vegetables
Organic substances such as vegetables are also rich in B12. Some of the different vegetables rich in B12 include:

Sprouted Alfalfa

The classic American sprout is delicious as well as nutritious. Widely used in sandwiches and salads, these thread-like sprouted veggies are an excellent source of vitamin B12.

Mushroom

Mushrooms are a good source of this vitamin. B12 is one of the complex and large vitamins present in mushrooms as compared to the other chemically simple vitamin B forms.

Cereals and Soy products

Bran and soy based cereals, in particular, are excellent plant-based source of vitamin B12. Don’t forget to include soy based cakes, burgers and sauces in your daily diet.

Potato

Look no further! Did you know that the humble potato is packed with Vitamin B12? With the different types of potatoes and the wide of variety of dishes they can be incorporated into, potatoes could just be the perfect remedy for a B12 deficiency.

Beetroot

Popularly known as beet, beetroot is considered as a popular superfood because of its high nutrition content. In addition to being rich in vitamin B12, this vegetable is packed with the goodness of iron, magnesium and potassium.

Fruits
Fruits are not only delicious but are also a popular source of vitamins and minerals. Some of the B12 rich vitamins are:

Banana

This energy-rich fruit is also a nutrition vault. Due its availability and low price, it is one of the most highly cultivated fruits in the tropical and sub-tropical regions. Along with being B12 rich, it also has a high calorie content.

Mango

Mango is a widely popular fruit in India. Cultivated widely, it comes in different shapes and tastes. The fruit is rich in vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and also offer protection against cancer.

Orange

Apart from being a rich source of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, this bright coloured winter fruit is a good laxative. It reduces cholesterol level and is a recommended source of vitamin B complex (Vitamin B12 complex refers to the different types of vitamins).

Apple

An apple a day keeps the doctor away; this old adage is no fluff. Apple is a rich repository of anti-oxidants and is a proven detoxifying agent. It is rich in vitamin B12 and helps maintain a glowing skin.

Blueberries

Blueberries, besides being popular anti-oxidants, also have a high nutritional content. These have different types of vitamin B complex groups which are also good for the metabolic system.

Daily intake of fish is called to counter certain diseases. You may be advised for 1-2 weekly servings of fish if you are deficient in vitamin B12.

Sea foods and fish
Salmon

This fresh water fish is not only a good source of vitamin B12 but is also packed with Omega 3 fatty acids, the same acids that keep your ticker, hale and ‘hearty’.

Sardines

An average cup of sardines provides 310 calories of energy along with being a key contributor of essential nutrients and vitamins.

Crabs and crustaceans

Crabs and lobsters are popular seafood. Apart from being a joy to your taste buds, they are also generously packed with essential vitamins. The average crab has 9.7 micrograms of vitamin B12 in it.

Molluscs

Many molluscs fall under the category of top B12 rich foods. Oysters and scallops are the most popular delicacies within this group.

Shellfish

Possibly the best vitamin B12 food among its habitat counterparts, 3 shellfish clams provide around 84 micrograms of vitamins, the major ones being Vitamin B7 and B12.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

6 Ways to Boost Women's Health

Women's health concerns are a little different from those of men. If
you're a woman, these tips will soon have you feeling fit and energetic.

To look and feel your best at every age, it’s important to make smart
lifestyle and health choices. Here are six simple things that women can
do every day (or with regularity) to ensure good health:

Health Tip #1: Eat a healthy diet. “You want to eat
as close to a natural foods diet as you can,” says Donald Novey, MD, an
integrative medicine physician with the Advocate Medical Group in Park
Ridge, Ill. That means a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and
fewer processed foods. Eat whole grains and high-fiber foods and choose
leaner cuts of meat, fish, and poultry. Include low-fat dairy products
in your diet as well — depending on your age, you need between 800 and
1,500 milligrams of calcium daily to help avoid osteoporosis, Dr. Novey says. Avoid foods and beverages that are high in calories, sugar, salt, and fat.

Healthy eating will help you maintain a proper
weight for your height, which is important because being overweight can
lead to a number of illnesses. Looking for a healthy snack? Try some raw
vegetables, such as celery, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, or zucchini
with dip made from low-fat yogurt.

If you’re not getting enough vitamins and nutrients in your diet, you
might want to take a multivitamin and a calcium supplement to make sure
you’re maintaining good health.

Health Tip #2: Exercise. Heart disease
is the leading cause of death among women in America, but plenty of
exercise can help keep your heart healthy. You want to exercise at least
30 minutes a day, five days a week, if not every day. Aerobic exercises
(walking, swimming, jogging, bicycling, dancing) are good for women’s
health in general and especially for your heart, says Sabrena Merrill,
MS, of Lawrence, Kan., a certified personal trainer and group fitness
instructor and a spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise.

Health Tip #3: Avoid risky habits. Stay away from
cigarettes and people who smoke. Don’t use drugs. If you drink alcohol,
do so in moderation. Most women’s health studies show that women can
safely consume one drink a day. A drink is considered to be about 12 to
14 grams of alcohol, which is equal to 12 ounces of beer (4.5 percent
alcohol); 5 ounces of wine (12.9 percent alcohol); or 1.5 ounces of
spirits (hard liquor such as gin or whiskey, 80-proof).

Health Tip #4: Manage stress. No matter what stage
of her life — daughter, mother, grandmother — a woman often wears many
hats and deals with a lot of pressure and stress. “Take a few minutes
every day just to relax and get your perspective back again,” Novey
says. “It doesn’t take long, and mental health is important to your
physical well-being.” You also can manage stress with exercise, relaxation techniques, or meditation.

Health Tip #5: Sun safely. Excessive exposure to the sun’s harmful rays can cause skin cancer, which can be deadly. To protect against skin cancer,
wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 if you
are going to be outdoors for more than a few minutes. Even if you wear
sunscreen faithfully, you should check regularly for signs of skin
cancer. Warning signs include any changes in the size, shape, color, or
feel of birthmarks, moles, or freckles, or new, enlarging, pigmented, or
red skin areas. If you spot any changes or you find you have sores that
are not healing, consult your doctor.

Health Tip #6: Check for breast cancer.
The American Cancer Society no longer recommends monthly breast
self-exams for women. However, it still suggests them as “an option” for
women, starting in their 20s. You should be on the lookout for any
changes in your breasts and report any concerns to your doctor. All
women 40 and older should get a yearly mammogram as a mammogram is the
most effective way of detecting cancer in its earliest stages, when it
is most treatable.

A woman’s health needs change as she ages, but the basics of women’s
health remain the same. If you follow these six simple healthy living
tips, you will improve your quality of life for years to come.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

If you're feeling sick and you want to know what's wrong with you,
there's an app for that. But the diagnosis won't be as accurate as the
one you'd get from a doctor -- not by a long shot.

In a head-to-head comparison, real human physicians outperformed a
collection of 23 symptom-checker apps and websites by a margin of more
than 2 to 1, according to a report published Monday in the journal JAMA
Internal Medicine.

Even when the contestants got three chances to figure out what ailed a
hypothetical patient, the diagnostic software lagged far behind actual
doctors. Indeed, the apps and websites suggested the right diagnosis
only slightly more than half of the time, the report says.

The research team -- from Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women's
Hospital in Boston and the Human Diagnosis Project in Washington, D.C.
-- asked 234 physicians to read through a selection of 45 "clinical
vignettes" to see how they would handle these hypothetical patients.
Each vignette included the medical history of the "patient" but no
results from a physical exam, blood test or other kind of lab work.

Most of the doctors were trained in internal medicine, though the group
included some pediatricians and family practice physicians too. About
half of them were in residency or fellowship, so their training was not
yet complete.

Even so, of the 1,105 vignettes they considered, they listed the correct
diagnosis first 72% of the time, according to the study.

The 23 symptom checkers evaluated a total of 770 vignettes in an earlier
study by some of the same researchers. The apps and websites (including
several from professional medical organizations, such as the American
Academy of Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Dutch
College of General Practitioners) listed the correct diagnosis first
just 34% of the time.

Both the doctors and the computer programs were able to include more
than one ailment in their differential diagnosis. So the researchers
also compared how often the correct diagnosis was among the top three
responses.

For the doctors, that happened 84% of the time. For the symptom checkers, it was 51% of the time.

Though the humans trounced the computers across the board, there were
situations in which did a particularly good job of naming the correct
diagnosis first. For instance, their margin in cases with common
conditions was 70% to 38%. In cases with uncommon conditions, it grew to
76% to 28%.

The seriousness of the malady made a difference too. In cases with low
acuity, doctors bested software by 65% to 41%. But in cases with high
acuity, that gap widened to 79% to 24%.

"Physicians vastly outperformed computer algorithms in diagnostic
accuracy," the researchers concluded. Full disclosure: Three of the
study authors are doctors, and none are apps.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Multivitamins: Should You Take One?

Food is the best source of most nutrients, but a multivitamin can help
provide what your diet doesn't. Find out what to look for in a daily
multivitamin.

Our bodies need many different vitamins and minerals to function properly.Vitamins and minerals also offer us protection against a host of ailments, including heart disease and some cancers, such as colon and cervical cancer.The good news is that we can get most of the vitamins and minerals
our bodies need daily by choosing the right foods and eating a wide
variety of them.Still, many people take a multivitamin daily as an insurance policy —
just to be sure they are getting all the vitamins and minerals that
their bodies require.“A multivitamin is a good idea for the trace elements,” says Donald
Novey, MD, an integrative medicine physician with the Advocate Medical
Group in Park Ridge, Ill.

“You want a multivitamin for all those little
things at the bottom of the ingredients list. The ones at the top of the
list are familiar and the ones we can’t avoid if we're eating enriched
foods. It’s the trace elements at the bottom that are the ones often
missing.”

Vitamin supplements can be particularly important during certain
stages of our lives, Dr. Novey says. For example, women in their
childbearing years can benefit from folic acid, which decreases the risk
of some birth defects. A pregnant
woman needs a multivitamin, starting in the first trimester, to ensure
that the baby receives proper nutrition. Active and older women can
benefit from increased calcium, which can help prevent bone loss and
fractures. Vegetarians also can benefit from taking extra calcium, iron,
zinc, and vitamins B12 and D.Does it matter what time of day you take a multivitamin? Not really,
says Stephen Bickston, MD, AGAF, professor of internal medicine and
director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Virginia
Commonwealth University Health Center in Richmond. However, he says,
some people find it helpful to take vitamins at the same time every day.
If it becomes part of their routine, they are less likely to forget.
Also, he says, some people feel that if they take their vitamin with
food, it is less likely to cause stomach upset. “I often recommend that
people take a chewable vitamin,” Dr. Bickston says, “because they seem
to be well tolerated, even in people who have serious digestive
conditions, which is what I deal with in my practice.”

Daily Vitamin: Tips for Shopping for the Right Multivitamin

Do you need to buy brand name vitamins? Novey says vitamins are like
any other consumer product: “You get what you pay for.” He suggests
shopping for vitamins in health food or natural food stores. Read the
label and make sure its expiration date is at least a few months away.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s advice on how much to take — or
the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) — is often written as “% DV” for
percentage of daily value on the label. However, be careful because the
DVs on the label may not take into consideration the different
requirements for age and gender as RDAs do.Multivitamins can be beneficial, but doctors warn not to be suckered
by “mega” vitamins. The amount of vitamins in a standard multi is
generally what you need for health benefits. Rarely do people need more
than the RDA of any vitamin. When it comes to vitamins, the
too-much-of-a-good-thing rule can apply, Bickston says.

Daily Vitamin: Ensuring Good Health

Clearly, eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole
grains, fish, lean meats and poultry, and low-fat dairy products is the
best way to get your daily dose of vitamins and nutrients to keep your
body functioning properly and to ward off illnesses. But taking a
multivitamin daily is a good backup plan, and an easy way to fill in any
gaps in your diet.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

How to Eat a Healthy Diet

In order to keep yourself in the best shape possible, it's essential to
eat a healthy diet. Find out exactly what you should be eating on a
regular basis.

If you are what you eat, it follows that you want to stick to a
healthy diet that’s well balanced. “You want to eat a variety of foods,”
says Stephen Bickston, MD, AGAF, professor of internal medicine and
director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Virginia
Commonwealth University Health Center in Richmond. “You don’t want to be
overly restrictive of any one food group or eat too much of another.”

Healthy Diet: The Building Blocks The best
source of meal planning for most Americans is the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food
Pyramid. The pyramid, updated in 2005, suggests that for a healthy diet
each day you should eat:

6 to 8 servings of grains. These include bread,
cereal, rice, and pasta, and at least 3 servings should be from whole
grains. A serving of bread is one slice while a serving of cereal is 1/2
(cooked) to 1 cup (ready-to-eat). A serving of rice or pasta is 1/2 cup
cooked (1 ounce dry). Save fat-laden baked goods such as croissants,
muffins, and donuts for an occasional treat.

2 to 4 servings of fruits and 4 to 6 servings of vegetables. Most fruits and vegetables
are naturally low in fat, making them a great addition to your healthy
diet. Fruits and vegetables also provide the fiber, vitamins, and
minerals you need for your body’s systems to function at peak
performance. Fruits and vegetables also will add flavor to a healthy
diet. It's best to serve them fresh, steamed, or cut up in salads. Be
sure to skip the calorie-laden toppings, butter, and mayonnaise, except
on occasion. A serving of raw or cooked vegetables is equal to 1/2 cup
(1 cup for leafy greens); a serving of a fruit is 1/2 cup or a fresh
fruit the size of a tennis ball.

2 to 3 servings of milk, yogurt, and cheese. Choose dairy products wisely. Go for fat-free or reduced-fat milk or cheeses. Substitute yogurt for sour cream in many recipes and no one will notice the difference. A serving of dairy is equal to 1 cup of milk or yogurt or 1.5 to 2 ounces of cheese.

2 to 3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts.
For a healthy diet, the best ways to prepare beef, pork, veal, lamb,
poultry, and fish is to bake or broil them. Look for the words “loin” or
“round” in cuts of meats because they're the leanest. Remove all
visible fat or skin before cooking, and season with herbs, spices, and
fat-free marinades. A serving of meat, fish, or poultry is 2 to 3
ounces. Some crossover foods such as dried beans, lentils, and peanut
butter can provide protein without the animal fat and cholesterol you get from meats. A ¼ cup cooked beans or 1 tablespoon of peanut butter is equal to 1 ounce of lean meat.

Use fats, oils, and sweets sparingly. No diet
should totally eliminate any one food group, even fats, oils, and
sweets. It’s fine to include them in your diet as long as it’s on
occasion and in moderation, Bickston says.

Healthy Diet: Eat Right and the Right Amount How many calories
you need in a day depends on your sex, age, body type, and how active
you are. Generally, active children ages 2 to 8 need between 1,400 and
2,000 calories a day. Active teenage girls and women can consume about
2,200 calories a day without gaining weight. Teenage boys and men who
are very active should consume about 3,000 calories a day to maintain
their weight. If you're not active, you calorie needs drop by 400 to 600
calories a day.
The best way to know how much to eat is to listen to your body, says
Donald Novey, MD, an integrative medicine physician with the Advocate
Medical Group in Park Ridge, Ill. “Pull away from the table when you’re
comfortable but not yet full. Wait about 20 minutes,” he says. “Usually
your body says, ‘That’s good.’ If you’re still hungry after that, you
might want to eat a little more.”

Healthy Diet: Exercise Is Part of the Plan At the bottom of the new USDA food pyramid is a space for exercise.
Exercise is an important component of a well-balanced diet and good
nutrition. You can reap "fabulous rewards," says Dr Novey, just by
exercising and eating “a healthy diet of foods that nature provides.”

Drinking Alcohol: Health Boost or Health Risk?

When it comes to alcohol, how much is too much? Find
out what the experts recommend and how to recognize the signs that
you're drinking too much.

A large number of studies have shown that moderate alcohol intake can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease
in men and women. Moderate drinking means one drink per day for women
and one to two for men, says Donald Novey, MD, an integrative medicine
physician with the Advocate Medical Group in Park Ridge, Ill. “The
difference in amounts is because of how men and women metabolize
alcohol,” Dr. Novey explains.

“When you say one drink, the size of that drink
matters,” Novey adds. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture
one drink is equal to:

12 ounces of beer or

5 ounces of wine or

1½ ounces of spirits (hard liquor such as gin or whiskey, 80-proof)

The Dangers of Drinking Too Much
Unfortunately, some people can’t stop at just one or two drinks. Too
much alcohol can result in serious health consequences. Heavy alcohol
intake can damage the liver, causing cirrhosis, a fatal disease.
Excessive drinking also can raise blood pressure and damage the heart, and is linked to many different cancers,
including mouth, esophagus, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers.
The health risks are even greater for those who not only drink but smoke
as well.
The consequences of excessive drinking can be serious not only for the alcoholic,
but also for their friends, family, and even innocent bystanders.
According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism,
more than 16,000 people die each year in automobile accidents that
involve drunken drivers. Other data indicates that one in three violent
crimes involves the use of alcohol and as many as three out of four
violent incidents against a spouse involve alcohol. “Alcohol is a
depressant. It makes people sad over time, not happy,” Novey says. When depressed, people can do some rather unfortunate things to themselves and their loved ones.

Signs of Alcohol Abuse
How can you tell if you or someone you know might have a drinking
problem? Physicians often use the CAGE test, which involves four simple
questions, Novey says:

Cutting down. Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?

Annoyance by criticism. Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

Guilty feeling. Have you ever felt guilty about drinking alcohol?

Eye-openers. Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover (an “eye-opener”)?

If the answer to just one of these questions is yes, a drinking problem is likely and professional help is needed, Novey says.
Other signs of a drinking problem:

You find you can’t stop drinking once you start.

You’re having problems at work or at school.

Other people notice your drinking and comment on it.

You can’t remember what you did when you were drinking alcohol.

Moderation Rules
Consuming no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two
drinks for men is safe, and perhaps even heart healthy. On the other
hand, excessive drinking can have serious consequences. If you think you
may have a drinking problem or suspect that someone you love does, seek
professional help. Contact your family physician or a support group for
substance abuse before irreparable damage is done.

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Seat Belts: How They Save Lives

Do you snap in your seat belt as soon as you get in the car? Do your
children have the right safety seats for their weight and age? If
you've answered no, even just once, you need to read on.

It's been proven time and again, on back roads and superhighways: A
seat belt can save a life in a car accident. According to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 15,000 lives
are saved each year in the United States because drivers and their
passengers were wearing seat belts when they were in accidents.Seat Belt Safety: 5-Way Protection“Seat belts prevent occupants of the vehicle from serious injury in
five ways,” says Angela Osterhuber, director of the Pennsylvania
Traffic Injury Prevention Project in Media, Pa. A seat belt:

Keeps the occupants of the vehicle inside. “It’s
clearly a myth that people are better off being thrown clear from the
crash,” Osterhuber says. “People thrown from a vehicle are four times
more likely to be killed than those who remain inside.”

Restrains the strongest parts of the body.
“Restraints are designed to contact your body at its strongest parts.
For an older child and adult, these parts are the hips and shoulders,
which is where the seat belt should be strapped,” Osterhuber says.

Spreads out any force from the collision.
“Lap-and-shoulder belts spread the force of the crash over a wide area
of the body. By putting less stress on any one area, they can help you
avoid serious injury,” Osterhuber says. A shoulder strap also helps keep
your head and upper body away from the dashboard, steering wheel, and
other hard interior parts of the automobile should you stop suddenly or
be hit by another vehicle.

Helps the body to slow down. “What is it that
causes injury? A quick change in speed,” Osterhuber says. “Seat belts
help extend the time it takes for you to slow down in a crash.”

Protects your brain and spinal cord. A seat belt
is designed to protect these two critical areas. “Head injuries may be
hard to see immediately, but they can be deadly,” Osterhuber says.
Likewise, spinal cord injuries can have serious consequences.

Seat Belt Safety: Buckle Up Correctly Adjusting your seat belt properly is a must: Getting the right fit
is as important as wearing it. The strap that goes across your lap
should fit snugly over your hips and upper thigh area. “If the belt
rides up on the stomach, it could cause serious injuries in a crash,”
Osterhuber says.Shoulder belts should rest securely across your chest and
shoulders between your breasts. Don’t ever let the strap fall across
your neck or face and never place the strap under your arms or behind
your back. “Any one of these positions can cause serious injury,”
Osterhuber says.Seat Belt Safety: Rules for Infants and Children Children
are not small adults — they need specialized protection in a moving
vehicle. “Their skeletal structure is different,” Osterhuber says. Age,
height, and weight determine the safest way for a child to travel.According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, here’s how to select the right option for your child:

Rear-facing child safety seat. Children under age
1 and those who weigh less than 20 pounds should sit in rear-facing,
child safety seats approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA). The seats should be placed in the backseat of
the car.

Forward-facing child safety seat. Children older
than 1 who weigh more than 20 pounds should ride in forward-facing child
safety seats. The seat should be placed in the rear of the vehicle
until the child reaches the upper weight or height limit of the
particular seat. Typically, a child will outgrow a safety seat around
age 4 and once she reaches about 40 pounds.

Booster seat. Children age 4 and older who weigh
more than 40 pounds should ride in booster seats. A child can safely
progress to a seat belt when the belt fits properly across the upper
thighs and chest. “This is usually at age 8 or when they are at least 4
feet 9 inches tall,” Osterhuber says.

Seat belt. When children outgrow their booster
seats, they can use seat belts, but they still should sit in the back of
the vehicle. “Really, all children should be riding in the backseat of
the car until they are at least 13 years old,” Osterhuber says.

Seat Belt Safety: A Clear Message
The National Safety Council recently reported a drop in traffic
fatalities for 2008, indicating a record low since the 1920s when it
began publishing statistical reports. One reason given for the decline
is the increased use of seat belts.
It takes only a few seconds to buckle up once you get in the car. Why wouldn’t you?

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Finding Fitness: 10 Ways to Fit In Exercise

The "E" word can make you cringe, but exercise is really necessary.
Besides, it can be fun: Learn how to squeeze fitness into your busy day.

The benefits of regular exercise are unrivaled: Physical activity can
help you lose weight and prevent a host of ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Being fit also can help you stay mentally sharp.
While most people know they should exercise, you may not know where
to start or how to fit it into a busy schedule. The American College of
Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA)
recommend that healthy adults get at least 150 minutes of
moderate-intensity aerobic activity spread out over five days a week, or
20 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity on each of three days
a week.
“This is something we recommend to all Americans,” says Gerald
Fletcher, MD, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.,
and a spokesman for the AHA.

An ideal fitness routine also includes resistance
or weight training to improve muscle strength and endurance. The ACSM
and the AHA recommend that most adults engage in resistance training at
least twice a week.

Finding Fitness: 10 Ways to Get in Exercise

Sometimes the problem isn’t motivation — it’s simply finding the time.
But scheduling exercise isn’t as difficult as you might think. Here are
10 ways to get you moving more often:

Be less efficient. People typically try to think
of ways to make daily tasks easier. But if we make them harder, we can
get more exercise, says Sabrena Merrill, MS, of Lawrence, Kan., a
certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and spokeswoman
for the American Council on Exercise (ACE). “Bring in the groceries from
your car one bag at a time so you have to make several trips,” Merrill
says. “Put the laundry away a few items at a time, rather than carrying
it up in a basket.”

Shun labor-saving devices. Wash the car by hand
rather than taking it to the car wash. “It takes about an hour and a
half to do a good job, and in the meantime you’ve gotten great
exercise,” Merrill says. Use a push mower rather than a riding mower to
groom your lawn.

Going somewhere? Take the long way. Walking up or
down a few flights of stairs each day can be good for your heart. Avoid
elevators and escalators whenever possible. If you ride the bus or
subway to work, get off a stop before your office and walk the extra
distance. When you go to the mall or the grocery store, park furthest
from the entrance, not as close to it as you can, and you'll get a few
extra minutes of walking — one of the best exercises there is, Dr.
Fletcher says. “Walking is great because anyone can do it and you don’t
need any special equipment other than a properly fitting pair of
sneakers.”

Be a morning person. Studies show that people who
exercise in the morning are more likely to stick with it. As Merrill
explains, “Are you going to feel like exercising at the end of a hard
day? Probably not. If you do your workout in the morning, you’re not
only more likely to do it, but you'll also set a positive tone for the
day.”

Ink the deal. Whether morning, afternoon, or
evening, pick the time that is most convenient for you to exercise and
write it down in your daily planner. Keep your exercise routine as you
would keep any appointment.

Watch your step. Investing in a good pedometer
can help you stay motivated. “If you have a pedometer attached to your
waist and you can see how many steps you’ve taken, you’ll see it doesn’t
take long to walk 5,000 steps and you will be inspired,” Merrill says.
And building up to 10,000 steps a day won’t seem like such a daunting a
task.

Hire the right help. While weight training is
important, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you run the risk of
injuring yourself or not being effective, Merrill says. It’s best to get
instructions from a personal trainer at the gym. You also can buy a
weight-training DVD and follow along in your living room.

Keep records. Grab a diary or logbook, and every
day that you exercise, write down what you did and for how long. Your
records will make it easy for you to see what you’ve accomplished and
make you more accountable. Blank pages? You’d be ashamed.

Phone a friend. Find someone who likes the same
activity that you do — walking in the neighborhood, riding bikes,
playing tennis — and make a date to do it together. “Exercising with a
friend or in a group can be very motivating,” Fletcher says. “You are
likely to walk longer or bike greater distances if you’re talking to a
friend along the way. The time will go by faster.” Don’t have a buddy
who is available? Grab an MP3 player and listen to your favorite music
or an audio book while exercising.

Do what you like. Whatever exercise you choose,
be sure it’s one that you enjoy. You’re more likely to stick with it if
it’s something you have fun doing rather than something you see as a
chore, Fletcher says.

If you can’t fit 30 minutes a day into your
schedule, get more exercise simply by being less efficient with your
chores and adding a little extra walking distance everywhere you go.
However, if you pick an activity you like, finding time for fitness will
become effortless and the rewards enormous.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

The Health Benefits of Water

We all need water to survive, but how exactly does it help?

Did you know that your body weight is approximately 60 percent water?
Your body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help
regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because
your body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it's important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water.
The amount of water you need depends on a variety of factors, including
the climate you live in, how physically active you are, and whether
you're experiencing an illness or have any other health problems.

Water Protects Your Tissues, Spinal Cord, and Joints
Water does more than just quench your thirst and regulate your body's temperature; it also keeps the tissues in your body
moist. You know how it feels when your eyes, nose, or mouth gets dry?
Keeping your body hydrated helps it retain optimum levels of moisture in
these sensitive areas, as well as in the blood, bones, and the brain.
In addition, water helps protect the spinal cord, and it acts as a
lubricant and cushion for your joints.

Water Helps Your Body Remove Waste

Adequate water intake enables your body to excrete waste through
perspiration, urination, and defecation. The kidneys and liver use it to
help flush out waste, as do your intestines. Water can also keep you
from getting constipated by softening your stools and helping move the
food you've eaten through your intestinal tract. However, it should be
noted that there is no evidence to prove that increasing your fluid
intake will cure constipation

.Water Aids in Digestion

Digestion starts with saliva, the basis of which is water. Digestion
relies on enzymes that are found in saliva to help break down food and
liquid and to dissolve minerals and other nutrients. Proper digestion
makes minerals and nutrients more accessible to the body. Water is also
necessary to help you digest soluble fiber. With the help of water, this
fiber dissolves easily and benefits your bowel health by making
well-formed, soft stools that are easy to pass.

Water Prevents You From Becoming Dehydrated

Your body loses fluids when you engage in vigorous exercise, sweat in
high heat, or come down with a fever or contract an illness that causes
vomiting or diarrhea. If you're losing fluids for any of these reasons,
it's important to increase your fluid intake so that you can restore
your body's natural hydration levels. Your doctor may also recommend
that you drink more fluids to help treat other health conditions, like
bladder infections and urinary tract stones. If you're pregnant or
nursing, you may want to consult with your physician about your fluid
intake because your body will be using more fluids than usual,
especially if you're breastfeeding.How Much Water Do You Need?

There's no hard and fast rule, and many individuals meet their daily
hydration needs by simply drinking water when they're thirsty, according
to a report on nutrient recommendations from the Institute of Medicine
of the National Academies. In fact, most people who are in good physical
health get enough fluids by drinking water and other beverages when
they're thirsty, and also by drinking a beverage with each of their
meals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If
you're not sure about your hydration level, look at your urine. If it's
clear, you're in good shape. If it's dark, you're probably dehydrated.